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According to Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, a disagreement over when the highly regarded fighter should compete next has strained his relationship with new employer Zuffa LLC.

While appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani today, Overeem said that he has told Strikeforce and parent company Zuffa that he will not fight Antonio Silva on September 10th as requested. Overeem apparently informed his employers that a September 10th date for the semi finals of the ongoing, Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix does not give him enough time to prepare for the bout.

The K-1 champ reportedly said that when he informed Zuffa of his decision, the company allegedly threatened to remove Overeem from the tournament if he does not agree to the September 10th date.

Due to the fact Overeem’s Strikeforce contract allows him to compete for other promotions, the disgruntled fighter informed Helwani that he has told his management to begin exploring other opportunities.

Overeem also acknowledged that he is entertaining the idea of competing as a professional boxer and that a bout with either of the renowned Klitschko brothers intrigues him.

FCF’s initial attempts to contact representatives from Overeem’s management were not immediately returned.

posted by FCF Staff @ 5:12 pm

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